Doping in Football

Drips and injections aren’t necessarily PEDs but I find the line somewhat blurry in a lot of cases. I’d be very surprised if most clubs at the top levels aren’t giving their players high dose supplements including things either not being tested for or which should probably be on the banned list. I’d bet anything that blood doping has been a massive issue too.
 
Magic Man said:
Brought up yesterday on the 'Stick to Football' podcast by Neville et al... I think their focus was on the Italian teams of the 90's / early 00's, however the Pep Barca team between 2008 - 2012 (which was lightyears ahead of any other team) is coming under some scrutiny online, specifically a Dr Ramon Segura of which Pep is seemingly very close to - Pep himself as a player failed two doping tests under the care of this nutritionist whilst playing in Italy.

Also, another interesting fact, the Spanish FA did not carry out blood tests for anti-doping until 2013, only urine tests. It is impossible to detect growth hormone or other EPO's by conducting a urine test (apparently). It's widely acknowledged that at some stage in his development Messi was regularly taking Growth Hormone - some suggest he has never stopped.

I can still vividly remember the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, watching and thinking to myself that it looks like boys against men here, United could not lay a glove on Barca.

That Barca team was outrageous, and none of the players ever seemed to be injured.

Should I take this tin foil hat off or could there be something in that?
Click to expand...
I remember a physio from around then telling me that HGH was rife.. in the top teams lol
 
Magic Man said:
I am sure Bradley Wiggins once came out saying he disagreed with how much the British Cycling Team were using inhalers.
Click to expand...
The Bradley Wiggins that had a theraputic use exemption due to hayfever & asthma so he could have injections of the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone and says himself he was on "continual medication … two Clarityns per day, one in the morning, one at night, nasal sprays, inhalers – two in the morning, two at night, eye drops as and when. I was on the maximum for over the counter products.", that Bradley Wiggins was complaining about the rest of the British Cycling team using inhalers?
I assume he was worried that they wouldn't leave enough drugs for him.
 
newusername said:
The Bradley Wiggins that had a theraputic use exemption due to hayfever & asthma so he could have injections of the banned corticosteroid triamcinolone and says himself he was on "continual medication … two Clarityns per day, one in the morning, one at night, nasal sprays, inhalers – two in the morning, two at night, eye drops as and when. I was on the maximum for over the counter products.", that Bradley Wiggins was complaining about the rest of the British Cycling team using inhalers?
I assume he was worried that they wouldn't leave enough drugs for him.
Click to expand...
I believe we are talking about the same bloke mate yes
 
If you'd asked this question 20 years ago I'd have been shocked if there was any PEDs in football, on the basis there isn't any supplement that helps you strike a ball cleanly from 25 yards and there were even a few overweight players at the top level. Even in cycling, track cycling was much cleaner than the TDF because there isn't anything other than really obviously banned substances that helps you go faster over a short distance, but there were plenty of options that allowed cyclists to ride ridiculously hard for hours day after day and somehow recover - imagine asking a football team to play 21 games in 23 days.

However, in hindsight, despite the fact that the culture in Italy amongst professional footballers was to not drink and eat properly (well ahead of England) something does seem amiss. And in today's very different environment where pressing, hence enhanced fitness and indeed speed are vital, it wouldn't be a surprise at all.

That being said, I just looked up someone I know who is a specialist sports doping solicitor. Amongst a huge number of sports, there's only two footballers cases listed there and one isn't even clear it was a doping case.
 
Jonny_Rondos_Disco_pants said:
If you remember a certain Italian Striker signed for an unfashionable team in the mid 90s, but he went back to Juventus doctors for treatment, diets, training plans etc

The drug scandal that blackens the name of Juve's team of the Nineties

Club doctor sentenced to jail as doping controversy intensifies
www.independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk
Click to expand...
Forgot Zidane was in that team.
Went on to being proficient in blood transfusions to recover from injury - what could possibly go wrong with that Mr Armstrong?
 
atypical_boro said:
Does anyone remember the controversy about “blood spinning” when Mourinho was first at Chelsea?
Click to expand...
Blood spinning was deemed legal as far as I’m aware, although there were some questions about it around that time. It’s used for injury recovery rather than performance enhancement. I think stem cell therapies may have taken over or they may be used together for even better results.
 
I've said it before and I will say it again. Why would someone with skill in football need to dope?

What benefit is there to be potentially fitter, faster, stronger and more powerful and recover better?

Doping only happens in other sports.
 
Last edited:
Random testing does happen in football, as players have explained being tested after certain games. Then there’s the type of testing that Rio Ferdinand somehow missed several times, leading to a 9 month ban.

That said, doping in the game wouldn’t surprise me. Especially the type of doping that speeds up recovery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top